SIMPLY TOO STRONG: San Miguel slams Terrafirma, boosts playoff bid

Games Wednesday:

(Ynares Center-Antipolo)

5 p.m. — Meralco vs Blackwater

7:30 p.m. — Rain or Shine vs TNT

San Miguel Beer battered Terrafirma into submission in a lopsided 128-89 victory to boost its playoffs bid in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup Sunday at the Ynares Center-Montalban in Rizal.

Seven Beermen scored in double figures, led by Rodney Brondial’s double-double performance, as San Miguel strung back-to-back victories for a 5-2 win-loss record.

Brondial delivered a monster game, tallying 16 points and grabbing a career-best 22 rebounds to go with one assist, one block and a steal in almost 27 minutes of action.

The Beermen never trailed and did not even allow the free-falling Dyip to knot the score in the one-sided ballgame that was already decided when San Miguel dropped 42 points in the third period.

While head coach Leo Austria lauded his wards’ torrid shooting, where the Beermen shot 56.1 percent from the field, he commended their defensive effort in limiting Terrafirma to just 35.9 percent field goal shooting.

“In the past few days, we were really after our defensive schemes because we can’t let Terrafirma do their thing offensively,” Austria said.

“We’re able to run off a turnover and the score some. Although our score off turnovers was too low, but we were able to execute our half-court check.”

Austria also praised the unselfishness of his squad, sharing the ball well with 29 assists leading to easy baskets.

“They were playing zone, so we were able to find somebody open. Fortunately, most of those shots went in. That’s why we shot by more than 50 percent,” he said.

CJ Perez and Mo Tautuaa added 17 points each, Juami Tiongson had 13 points while eight-time Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo got 12 points and 12 rebounds for San Miguel.

Don Trollano also finished with 12 while Jericho Cruz registered 11 points for the Beermen, who lorded it over on the boards, 72-39.

San Miguel was up, 53-37, by halftime and sustained their assault in the third canto to enter the payoff period leading by 31 points.

The Beermen just wrapped it up in the fourth to hand the Dyip their seventh straight loss in eight starts.

Mark Nonoy submitted 24 points, Stanley Pringle had 17 markers and Louie Sangalang finished with 10 points, 14 boards and six assists for Terrafirma, which lost by 30 points or more for the seventh time in a row.

The scores:

SAN MIGUEL (128) — Perez 17, Tautuaa 17, Brondial 16, Tiongson 13, Fajardo 12, Trollano 12, Cruz 11, Teng 8, Calma 8, Rosales 7, Lassiter 4, Cahilig 3, Ross 0.

TERRAFIRMA (89) — Nonoy 24, Pringle 17, Sangalang 10, Zaldivar 9, Paraiso 7, Catapusan 7, Ramos 5, Melecio 5, Olivario 3, Ferrer 2, Hernandez 0, Hanapi 0.

Quarters: 28-21, 53-37, 95-64, 128-89.